PREMIERE DESIGN

As my previous profiles of the Titan Reference and Titan Reference 3D projectors from Digital Projection International (DPI) make clear, they are nothing if not ultimate gear. But if $70,000 to $104,500 is a bit too much for your bank account, you can still get 3-chip DLP performance for much less with the company's HIGHlite Cine 260 models.

This morning, I attended a press preview of the newly renamed Dolby Theater at the Hollywood and Highland complex in Hollywood, California. The official unveiling of the venue's new signage will take place this evening amid throngs of peoplean extravaganza not unlike the Academy Awards ceremony that makes its home thereso I was glad to get a sneak peek beforehand.

Video projectors are always front and center at the CEDIA Expo, and this year is certainly no exception. Among the many introductions in this regard will be the Starlight 3 from French maker DreamVision.

Press releases announcing new products to be introduced at the upcoming CEDIA (Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association) Expo are now flooding my inbox, so I'll be profiling several of these products leading up to the show. Among the most interesting-looking items so far is the Ferrari Art.Engine System, a single-piece stereo speaker from a boutique company called the <A href="http://www.dwcollection.com">David Wiener Collection</A> (DWC).

After designing and building direct-radiating speakers for over 20 years, Markus Duevel decided to try a different approach. Years of experimentation resulted in a unique combination of horn loading and omnidirectional radiation, and Duevel now offers several models, including the flagship Sirius.

Located in Memphis, TN, EgglestonWorks has long been known for exceptional speakers. Among the company's newest models is the Savoy, which is designed to meet the ultimate goal of music without compromise.

I had not heard of Swedish speaker maker <A href="http://www.perfect8.com">Perfect8 Technologies</A> until reader Joe G. posted a comment in my blog about <A href="http://blog.ultimateavmag.com/ultimate-gear/glass_ear/">Hario's glass speakers</A>. Like Hario, Perfect8 uses glass as a primary building material, but not in the driver diaphragms as Hario does. Instead, the cabinets and some support structures are made of glass, creating elegant sculptures that are said to sound as good as they look.

Ever since its founding in 1926, German speaker maker <A href="http://www.elac.com">Elac</A>&#151;short for Electroacustic&#151;has never been one to rest on its laurels. Its engineers continue to improve the company's already well-regarded speakers with refinements and innovations that push the performance envelope. Take, for example, the FS 609 CE, Elac's flagship tower speaker that packs a lot of advanced technology into a slender form factor.

<A href="http://www.martinlogan.com">MartinLogan</A>, well-known purveyor of high-end electrostatic speakers since 1983, recently introduced a new flagship to its lineup&#151;the CLX. After reading the press release, I thought it might be fun to devise the ultimate ML home-theater system.

In 771 C.E., a huge bronze bell was cast by King Hyegong of the Silla Empire in what is now South Korea to honor his grandfather, King Seongdeok. Called the Emillé Bell, its remarkable sound can be heard evenly in all directions, and its reverberations last for three minutes, longer than any other bell in the world. Some 1220 years later, Korean high-end audio maker Emillé Labs took its name and inspiration from the famous bell, handcrafting all of its tube-based electronics, including the new Rapture monoblock power amp featured here, to sound as incredible as the company's namesake.

And now for something completely differenta subwoofer that looks like a fan and can reproduce frequencies down to 1Hz and below. Yep, you read that right1Hz and below. Developed by Bruce Thigpen and available from Eminent Technology, the Thigpen Rotary Woofer Model 17 (TRW-17) breaks entirely new ground at the very bottom of the sonic spectrum.

When Lars Engstr&#246;m built his first first amplifier at age 12 in his native Sweden, he could hardly have foreseen where it would take him. But his passion and talent for audio engineering eventually led him to found <A href="http://www.thelars.se">Engstr&#246;m & Engstr&#246;m</A> in 2009 with his nephew Timo, an industrial designer whose skills complement those of Lars perfectly.

Who would have thought that Estonia, a tiny republic on the Baltic Sea in the far northeast corner of the European continent, is home to a high-end speaker maker? Estelon was founded in 2006 to bring the vision of designer Alfred Vassllkov to life. His first productthe Model XAis still the company's flagship.